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SEVERAL TRAITS 

of 

U/>e GERMAN 

CHARACTER 



^^ 



A I.ECTURE 

BY 

PASTOR A. W, REINH ARD. 



^SEVERAL TRAITS 



OF THE. 



GERMAN CliARACTERi 



THEIR BEARING ON THE FORMATION 

OF THE 

AMERICAN NATIONAL CHARACTER. 



<^^ 



BY 

PASTOR A. -W, REINHARD. 



1^1^\ 

Q^^-"' 



-lG■^.'.;<y of ;UN3RESS 
I wo Copies liiecmvoo 

WIAR 83 1905 

jUiSS <a/ XXc. Not 
\ <JOHY B. 




I Uo m^ faitbtul an5 beloved frlent>, H)r. B. M» J 

I Saun&ers, of St. Xouis, /iDissourt, tbese pages | 

I are most respectfully ^e^icatet>. $ 

Ube Hutbor. % 



ENTERED ACCORDING TO ACT OF CONGRESS FEB. l6, 1905 BY 

AUGUST W. REINHARD 

IN THE OFFICE OF THE LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS AT WASHINGTON, D. C. 



Western Publishing Co. 's Press, 
84-88 W. LoLust St., Dubuque, la. 



^%^ 



THE LECTURE. 



,,Macht und Freiheit, Recht und Sitte, 
Klarer Geist und starker Hieb 
Zuegeln dann aus starker Mitte 
Jeder Selbstsucht wilden Trieb, 
Und es magr am deiitschen Wesen 
Noch einmal die \\"elt genesen." 

— Geibel. 

During the preparation of this lecture I invited an acquaintance, 
a lady, to come and hear it. She asked me, "On what subject will 
you speak?" I answered, "On the German character." "O, " said 
she, "I did not know that the Germans had a character." 

The incident reminds me of an anecdote that went through the 
press years ago. It tells of a man sitting with a lady in a railway 
car, who, in the course of their conversation, was overheard to re- 
mark, "I cannot bear the Germans; they are only good to sing and 
drink beer." 

A young German who hapj^ened to sit near by turned about and 
said, "Sir, kindly pardon me for interrupting you, but you say the 
Germans are only good to sing and drink beer. Can you tell me 
who is the most active Christian in England? Can you say who is 
the most distinguished scholar in Oxford? And also, do you know 
who is the greatest engineer in the United States?" 

The gentleman gave an evasive reply. 

"Well, I will tell you," said the German. "The most active 
Christian in England is George Mtiller of Bristol ; he is the foster- 
father oj about one thousand orphans, and through him over one 
hundred missionaries and Christian workers are supported; he is a 
German. The most distinguished scholar in Oxford is Max Miiller, 
whosa "Chips from a German Workshop" are prized like so many 
jewels; he is a German. And the greatest engineer in the United 
States is Eobling;he built the Suspension Bridge across the Niagara 
river; he is a German. So you see there are Germans who can do 
else than sing and drink beer. ' ' 



— 4 — 

If it were the object of this lecture to discuss both the negative 
and positive qualities of the German character it would be necessary 
to add some remarks to this conversation; but that is not the aim. 
As such, the German character is good, and of his good character it 
is the purpose to point out a few leading traits. Moreover, the faults 
of a nation are known the world over; less so its virtues. Nor does 
it seem any kinder to criticise a whole nation than an individual, re- 
membering that we, too, have national faults; but it is a pleasant, 
because a Christian thing, to discover the good qualities of our 
neighbors, all the more when we reap benefits from their good char- 
acter. 

With duo respect for national jjride, and with a tolerable allow- 
ance for national prejudices, it is safe to say that the days of "Know- 
nothingism" are forever jmst. The citizens of the United States, 
comjDlex as they are in resjDect to nationalities, have learned to have 
faith in one another, and this confidence is growing. As members 
of our great Commonwealth we are working out the genius of the 
Constitution, which recognizes all who accejat our free institutions, 
keep our laws, and lead responsible lives. No man in the United 
States is valued on account of his nationality, but for his good char- 
acter and for his acceptance of American principles. 

At the first glance it might seem as if the people of this country 
were a conglomeration of all nations, devoid of a distinct national 
character. The fact is there is not another nation existing whose 
character can be more clearly defined than ours. We strive for the 
highest individual freedom, based on righteousness, truth and love. 
But since this country, from its beginning was composed of various 
nationalities, it is obvious that our national character became the 
product of these various forces. But the more the prejudices of the 
English, Irish, Scotch, (xermans, Dutch, French, Spaniards and others, 
resident in the United States, have been overcome, the more their char- 
acter has been amalgamated into one strong American character. 
"The mixture of allied races among us," says Herbert Spencer, 
"will produce a more powerful tyjje of man than has existed hither- 
to." Nowhere are these forces so mightily at work as in the United 
States. 

Next to the English speaking element, the Germans have ever 
been the strongest constituent of this nation. Germans an their 
descendants who still speak, or at least understand, the German 
language, number about twenty millions. Moreover, the stream of 



— 5 — 

German immigration is incessant. Thus they ever have been and 
still are contributing a large percentage to the upbuilding of our land 
and character. To state just what that quota is, lies beyond the 
scope of this address. All that this effort can attempt is to point 
out a few leading traits of character, to call attention to some of the 
notable achievments of the Germans in this land, and from these 
facts draw conclusions as to what influence has gone forth from the 
Germans in the formation of our national character. 

The German's foremost trait of character is (permit me to use 
the German word) Innerlichkeit. The English word inwardness, as 
used by Shakespeare in the sentence, "You know my inwardness and 
love," and by Wykliff, "Ye are not anguished in us, but ye are an- 
guished in your inwardness," exactly fits the idea. By it we are to 
understand the soul- life of the German, the man within himself, a life 
lived not for the sake of aj)pearance, but first and last for its own 
sake. It is that simple life which Charles Wagner has so beautifully 
described in the chapter on "Notoriety. " "In human society, " he 
says "the forms which move for good remain invisible, even in our 
individual lives : what is best in us is incommunicable, buried in the 
depths of us. And the more vital are these sensibilities and intui- 
tions, confounding themselves with the very essence of our being, 
the less ostentatious they are : they think themselves profaned by ex- 
posure to the light of day. There is a secret and inexpressible joy 
in possessing at the heart of one's being, an interior world, known 
only to God, whence, nevertheless, come impulses, enthusiasms, the 
daily renewal of courage and the most powerful motives for activity 
among our fellow-men. When this intimate life loses its intimacy, 
when man neglects it for what is superficial, he forfeits in worth all 
that is given in appearance." Thus the genial and versatile Parisian, 
in showing to the world how man ought consciously and conscien- 
tiously to live his inmost soul-life, unwittingly unfolds the character 
of his neighbor, the German. For Innerlichkeit is the essence of 
his being, the mainspring of his actions, the quality by which every- 
thing else in him must be measured. The very fact that the word 
Innerlichkeit, with its various derivatives, is used so frequently in 
the German language, while the word inwardness is used so little by 
us, as to be almost obsolete, shows strikingly the difference in the 
two characters. 

By virtue of his Innerlichkeit, the German is a profound think- 
er, a thorough and original student, a man of research, on account 



— 6 — 

of which his institutions of learning have become foremost in the 
world. This explains why all German philosophers are idealists. 
The world of mind is all the world to him. He loves to dwell on un- 
derlying, abstract thought. He is highly prolific'^of theories. His 
mind is constantly inquiring, "What is back of *thef phenomena?" 
In dealing with concrete science, he prefers to investigate the'first 
causes. Thus Helmholz became the great physiologist, Virchow the 
founder of modern pathology, and Koch the discoverer of the bac- 
cillus tuberculi. 

We Americans, on the other hand, have a distinct preference 
for i^ractical knowledge. We are an inventive people. Our ingenu- 
ity is known the world over. We are a nation of experts. American 
surgeons, for example, have long ago been recognized to'^be superior 
to German surgeons, Germany even acknowledging^this. 

But we are inclined to be superficial. In our educational meth- 
ods, we have suffered for centuries from a lack of thoroughness. 
American schoolmen have labored under the delusion that a scholar 
should cover as many studies as possible, rather than know less and 
know that well. In my own college days we read a half or a third 
of a Latin or Greek classic. No German professor would stop short 
of a whole book. Says Charles Skinner, State^Superintendent of the 
Department of Public Instruction of the State of New York : 

"More and more there is a tendency to overcrowd courses of 
study. This is not confined to schools of a particular class, but is, 
perhaps, more marked in the higher grades. Our schools are evi- 
dently trying to cover too much ground within a specified time. 
Our children are being hurried forward too rapidly. This policy 
certainly tends toward superficiality. We are paying too little at- 
tention to a well grounded preparation in what are usually denomi- 
nated as essential or fundamental branches. Our children are 
hurrying too fast from one grade to another, from one subject to 
another, without mastering the successive stejjs by which they ex- 
pect to rise. There is danger of our becoming a nation of poor si^el- 
lers, readers and writers. Arithmetic, ^geography and grammar are 
thrown aside too early after insufficient study, and pupils are hur- 
ried through essential subjects to give more time for experiments and 
fads. We are not teaching our pupils thoroughness. They rush 
through their terms and often graduate too young; more often care- 
lessly educated, if we can really say they are educated at all". 

In respect to thoroughness in our educational methods, great 



improvement Las been made, but the correction is due, in a large 
measure, to German influence. To say that German schools lead the 
world at present is to use an almost commonplace expression. Johns 
Hopkins University has made the German university its model, and 
the schools and universities of Germany are thronged with American 
scholars, about three thousand being in the Fatherland. 

In one instance German thoroughness has brought English and 
American scholarship to a rather deep humiliation. Professor 
Carpenter, in his well known Grammar, mentions "Matzner's Eng- 
lische Grammatik" as the chief authoritative work on English gram- 
mar. It should not seem flattering for Englishmen and Americans 
to be sent to Berlin to study the English language. As to the study 
of the German language in the United States, it may be remarked 
that next to the English it has the preference over all other living 
languages, and German literature is receiving marked attention. 

It cannot be denied, however, that the strong bent of the Ger- 
man mind to be thorough often loses itself in unknown and un- 
knowable depths. The language of German scholars is frequently 
cumbersome, unintelligible, and much of their thought, especially 
in philosophy and religion, is speculative and mystical. Indeed, 
systems of mystical philosophy and religion are historical charac- 
teristics of German learning. It also leads to pedantry which some- 
times is quite amusing. It is said of the German poet Uhland that 
he never wrote a letter without rewriting it, and whenever he found 
it necessary to scold his cook he would first write out the reprimand, 
commit it to memory, and then deliver it. It is to be regretted that 
he did not publish some of these culinary philii^pics so that the lit- 
erary world after him might have an idea of just how to acquit itself 
of that critical duty, without sacrificing anything to literary style 
and effect. 

In the realm of affections the inner life of the German manifests 
itself by tender love. The common appellation of God is "lieber 
Gott" (dear God) rather than our reverential "Lord" ; and corre- 
sponding to this German children love to call their parents by the 
affectionate ' ' jDapa' ' and ' ' mama' ' instead of father and mother. The 
conjugal love of the German is ideal. The French and southern ro- 
mantic nations see in woman first of all sex, and if she be intellectual 
the charm is heightened. But the German, by virtue of his Inner- 
lichkeit, beholds in woman an object of deep respect, a respect which 
rises to veneration. He feels that in her si umber loowers of the soul 



— 8 — 

that lovingly supplement his own inner life: a contemplative mind, 
a prevision, v/liich, while based largely on feeling, often outweighs 
his own cold judgment. Tacitus observes this when he says: 
"Aliquid sanctum et providum," meaning there is something sacred 
and prophetic in German womea. One of the finest productions of 
German literature is Gothe's "Iphegenie auf Tauris, " in which he 
shows the powerful influence of German woman over man. In my 
own experience I have met with many beautiful instances of German 
love in married life. Not long ago I was told of a German minister 
whose mind was sujjposed to be deranged, because, after his wife 
died, he spoke to her for days as if she were still present. The man 
was perfectly sane. His peculiar deportment was only an expression 
of his intense love to his wife. This is also true of other relations 
in life. The story is told of a German valet who was so strongly at- 
tached to his master that when the latter sank to abject poverty, the 
valet refused to leave him, but helped make the living, and at the 
same time reverenced him as his master. Of the German soldiers 
returning from France, from the war in 1870, it is said that when 
they saw the Rhine the officers lost control of the men, the soldiers 
rushed pell-mell to the banks of the river, weeping tears of joy. We 
shall have further occasion to refer to this beautiful trait of German 
character. 

In matters of knowledge, the German would see deep: in his 
heart-life he desires to feel the full warmth of love; but when he ex- 
ercises his will he glories in the strength of his determination. His 
will, therefore, is a part of his"Innerlichkeit. " This is so strong that 
it marks him at once an individualist. But powerful as the German 
will is, he will not exercise it until he knows what he wants. To 
understand the German as an individualist it is worth our while to 
make a psychological explanation. 

Of the two manifestations of soul- life, intellect and will, the will 
is the constant element, the intellect the movable. The will is in it- 
self void of content. Not until influenced by the intellect or feeling, 
can it make itself known or felt. If the will be tlie strongest factor, 
it will force both intellect and feelings into subordination ; if. how- 
ever, the intellect or feelings dominate, the will will be less vigorous. 
In the German the will refuses to act until instructed by the 
intellect, or impelled by the feelings, and because both his will and 
feelings must be consvilted thoroughly, he is not so quick to act as 
the Frenchman, Englishman or Yankee is. However, after his will 



— 9 — 

has been properly advised lie will press on to his purpose with inex- 
haustible and indefatigable endurance. His English and American 
brothers force the intellect into subordination to the will; therefore 
they are realists. They expect quick and large results and they get 
them, but mainly along material lines. The German, on the other 
hand, wants to know the reason why and considers all the costs be- 
fore he iDresses forvrard ; but when his mind is cleared up no diffi- 
culty is too great for him to surmount, he will patiently plod on and 
bide the time until his purpose is accomplished. In this respect the 
German is like George Washington, of whom Thomas Jefferson says: 

' * His mind was great and powerful it was slow in operation, sure 

in conclusion .... Perhaps the strongest feature in his character was 
prudence, never acting until every circumstance, every consideration 
was maturely weighed, and when once decided, going through with 
all his purpose, whatever obstacle opposed." Here Saxon meets 
Saxon, and certainly more agreeably than when Washington met the 
German regiments at Trenton on that memorable Christmas day, 
1776. 

Such intelligent persistency is bound to develop strong individ- 
ualists, of whom the German people have ever had many. One needs 
only to study the lives of Charlemagne and Luther, the two greatest 
personalities of the Germans in all ages, to see how powerful German 
individualism is and acts. Luther, notwithstanding his sincere hu- 
mility, once said of himself: "I am a man well known in heaven, on 
earth, and in hell," a popularity worth coveting. 

We are, therefore, not surprised to find individualism a funda- 
mental feature in German literature. To delineate the character of 
the individual man from the view point of his inner life, rather than 
from his relation to society, has ever been the aim of German au- 
thors. From the early "Fragment of Hildebrant to His Son Hadu- 
brandt" down through all history, biography, novels, poetry, stories, 
the hero is represented as working out his greatness by his own inner 
self, and it is for this reason that Gothe's "Faust" has become the 
greatest production of German literature ; for Faust represents the 
inner life of Gothe, idealized by the poet's genius. 

Such formation of character is very desirable, because it is orig- 
inal and brings out just wlrat there is in man. Germans admire 
the "self-made man" in America. Should we not also admire the 
self made inner man in the German? It is pleasant to note how we 
suggest one another in this respect. 



— 10 — 

This trait of character lies so deeply imbedded in the German 
mind that it is often amusing to see to what degree of sentimentality 
he is reduced by it. It reminds one of the German whom the English 
poet Coleridge met in Frankfort, who always took off his hat with 
profound respect when he ventured to speak of himself. It is simply 
ludicrous, not to say childish, to see how the German individualizes 
himself in his corresjiondence. If he writes a letter to a tailor, or 
architect, or contractor, he must not fail to say on the envelope, Mr. 
Tailor-master Sohmitt, Mr. Architect Brown, Mr. Contractor 
Schneider; or, as an unkind American wit once remarked, if Mr. 
Lange is a garbage collector, don't forget, in addressing a letter to 
his wife, to say : "Mrs. Garbage Collector Lange." But strong as 
his consciousness of himself as an individual may be, it is not so 
strong as that of his Anglo-Saxon brothers, the English and Ameri- 
can, who write I with a capital letter, and you with a small letter, 
even in direct address; the German reverses the order. 

This trend of German character, while undoubtedly innate with 
the German tribes, has ever been fostered by the indoor habits of the 
German, the cold, raw, northern climate comijelling him to spend a 
good part of the year in the house. Besides, in the early days of 
Germany the country was sparsely settled, isolating the individual 
families. 

Following the long, hard winter, Germany enjoys a prolonged 
spring, rich in flowers and bird-song, while in the summer the plen- 
teous harvest, the heavily laden fruit and nut trees, the grand forests, 
and such scenery as the Rhine affords, draw forth the deep joy of 
the German breast. No wonder that Germany is a land of song and 
music. 

This brings us to the manifestation of German Innerlichkeit — 
Gemtitlichkeit, another untranslatable word. What are we to un- 
derstand by it? 

1. Depth and warmth of feeling, as it is peculiarly found in the 
German. 

2. A sympathetic state of the feelings, by which the German 
feels himself drawn to others sharing the same feelings. 

3. A tranquil state of the mind. The German si3eaksof a meek, 
soft, quiet Gemiit; or reverses it, an excited, harsh, angry Gemtlt. 

4. Cordiality ; congeniality ; sociableness ; goodnaturedness. 

5. As to environments : comfort. As we speak of a cozy room 
or chair, so the German finds his room, chair, coat, pipe, gemtitlich. 



— 11 — 

Perhaps the strongest agency by which the German Gemtit is 
transmitted, into our American sonl-life is German music. It un- 
questionably takes the lead of all music in the United States, for 
that matter in the world. What musical creations, for example, 
have become such cherished and sacred favorites with us as Handel's 
"Messiah" and Haydn's "Creation?" And why? Not only be- 
cause their subjects are of such a lofty character, but also because 
they give deep expression to the Gemtit. Let us inquire into this. 
We ask the question : What is music? It will answer our purpose 
to class it under two heads : that which pleases the ear, and that 
which speaks to the soul. 

Italian music, for example, seeks pre-eminently to please the 
ear. It is sweet, melodious, even ; clear and transparent in its har- 
mony; simple in its rhythm; consistent in its development. Its 
first aim is the aesthetic effect. It imposes no burden on the un- 
derstanding ; develops no dialectic processes, avoids entanglements 
and rapid transitions — in short Italian music is of a light character 
and, therefore, very popular. 

The German, on the other hand, speaks, by the symbols of mu- 
sic, from the depths of his large soul, and appeals to all there is in 
man. The word oratorio is quite significant as a German musical 
designation. In his music he cares not whether he pleases or pains, 
whether it is difficult or easy of interpretation. He says all he 
thinks, presents himself just as he is, concealing nothing. German 
composers are strong individualists. If, therefore, you would un- 
derstand German music, study the author, study the German char- 
acter. Take for examjile the world's greatest musical genius, whose 
music is now coming more and more to the front in America — Beet- 
hoven. Why does his music so mightily stir the human heart? Be- 
cause in it he had wedded the highest genius to the deepest feelings 
in man, be it that these feelings jjertain to things human or divine. 
But these feelings are intensely Beethoven's own feelings. In his 
symphonies he is telling you of his hard struggles in life; of his 
deep sorrows, and of the final victory, especially of that blessed hope 
beyond. Now what characterizes Beethoven most is his sympha- 
thetic music, his Andantes, Adagios, Larghettos. In these he tells 
the world of his deep sorrow, mixed with beautiful, sweet comfort. 
The depth, softness, and sweetness of feeling with which he accom- 
plishes this shows to you the richness of the German Gemtit. What 
Beethoven's great affliction was, we all know. He was deaf, in his 



— 12 — 

latter years so deaf that when his celebrated "Ninth Symi^hony" 
was rendered in Vienna he could hear nothing of the music nor the 
tremendous applause. Friends turned his chair around so that he 
might see the waving of handkerchiefs and hats. "His works are 
the fruits of bitter thought and sorrow, the results of a passionate 
but consciously painful strife for ideal aims. He who had given to 
the world enjoyment and elevation of the heart, should himself drink 
the bitter cup of being deprived of the sense of hearing. But how 
grand is the spectacle of an artist deprived of all intercourse with 
what to him in this world was dearest, and yet pouring forth the 
lonely aspirations of his soul, all the more sublime as we seem to 
hear in them the innermost spirit of mankind." In Beethoven we 
have the extraordinary illustration of how, in the hands of God, af- 
fliction may further sublimate the efforts of an artist, even if, on the 
other hand, they, poiguantly intensified his sufferings as a man; in- 
deed, it is thought that the deafness of Beethoven drove him into the 
innermost recesses of his soul. 

In his capacity of the world's greatest musical genius he might 
have said, and in his own language he did say: "Behold, and see if 
there be a sorrow like my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith 
the Lord hath afflicted me." To this deep pain, but also to the 
soothing, divine comfort he felt, he gave expression in his works. 
Knowing these facts, we begin to understand Beethoven's music and 
gain an insight into the German mind. 

I have spoken at length on German music, because through it 
as through a main channel, the German character is exerting a deep 
and lasting influence on the American i^eojole. 

What German music is to the ear, German homelife is to the 
eye. In the home of the German, his deep Gemtit, that is his warm 
love, is displayed. In traveling in Germany you will observe that 
the private houses do not present a large cable-end toward the street. 
Nor are the gardens in the front. The German home shuts itself off 
from the world at large. It is in the interior of the house, and in 
the garden in the rear, where the home-life makes itself known. To 
the German the home is his dearest place on earth. He suffers in- 
tensely from home-sickness, and no literature is more pathetic in 
this respect than the German. 

What, then, are the features that make German home-life beau- 
tiful? First, a German home is a model of cleanliness and order. 
W^here is there a land whose fields, forests and cities present greater 



— 13 — 

neatness and better order than Germany's, This is due to the clean- 
liness of the homes and their occupants. If the German speaks of 
"ein gemtitliches Zimmer" (a comfortable room) he does not mean 
luxury, but cleanliness, sunlight and cheer. If, during the middle 
ages, a German had committed a mortal sin, one of the commonest 
punishments inflicted by the church was to deprive him for one 
week of his daily bath. This is important; for external cleanliness 
always exerts a good influence on the heart. We find it so in the 
German. Corresponding to his habits of cleanliness, we find a good 
moral atmosphere in German homes. History informs us that of all 
pagan tribes the Germans were the only ones who did not practice 
polygamy. When the Germans were yet worshipi)ing Wotan, Donar, 
Nerthus, and Frija monogamy was so strict a law with them that a, 
wife who committed adultry was shorn of her hair, unclothed, and 
whipped through the streets of the village. 

How beautiful German family life is by virtue of its simplicity, 
contentedness, respect, and affection no author has depicted more ex- 
quisitely than the modern German classic writer, Heinrich Seidel. 
For the sake of reading his books, it would be worth while to learn 
the German language, all the more, because his deep pathos scorns 
translation. One of the stories he tells is of a young man twenty- 
three years old Avho loved a girl five years his junior. He asked the 
father for the hand of the maiden, but was stoutly refused. They 
agree to wait until the father will consent. Twenty-five years pass, 
by, but the father remains obdurate. After the expiration of twenty- 
five years a friend proposes to celebrate the silver engagement. The 
sorry festival is really held. The hero of the book proposes to the 
young people, who are now respectively forty-eight and forty-three 
years old, to marry without the father's consent. "Oh, no, " an- 
swered the lover, "if we marry without father's consent there will be 
no blessing in our home: we must wait." Would not our American 
youth have a happy wedding in spite of the "old man?" 

From what has been said it should not be inferred that German 
families are reclusive. Quite the contrary. Just recently a note- 
worthy feature has been introduced into the German home-life, the so 
called " Volksabende. " These are social gatherings held in private 
homes for the purpose of furthering German culture. A number of 
congenial friends meet in a home on an evening. A German author 
is taken up, say Schiller. Several of his poems are read and discua- 
sed, one is declaimed, also one or two choice songs are sung. If the 



— 14 — 

family has a musical instrument, a production from a German mas- 
ter is rendered. All this is done in the interest of culture and socia- 
bleness, and in an unconventional manner. Evangelical ministers 
have taken this movement in hand. 

To do justice to the good nature of the German, mention should 
be made of his wit and humor. Every nation possesses humor pecul- 
iar to itself. German humor differs from English and American in 
that it indulges little in smart sayings. The pun, so extensively em- 
ployed in American humorous literature, is used only sparingly by 
the German. He is not sprightly like the Frenchmen, nor quick in 
his conclusions like the American. His nature is to be naive, bland, 
grotesque, dry. The clergy, both Protestant and Catholic, have ever 
been the source of the best German humor. That explains why 
there is so much love in it. The best German humor is an outburst 
of deep, warm feeling. They love to laugh through tears. The 
greatest German humorists are always men of deep pathos. This 
humor is not met so much in current wits and jokes, as rather in 
works in which droll or humorous natures are characterized. Of all 
the humorous literature that has come to my notice no book has 
made such a lasting impression on me as Renter's works. Now you 
Are bathing your face in tears of pathos, and now you are rolling in 
convulsions of laughter. Being written in a dialect of the Low-Ger- 
man, translation is out of the question. But it is to be regretted 
that these exquisitely written books cannot be given to the whole 
world. By way of characterization, permit me to tell a few German 
jokes. 

Buchsel, a noted Berlin minister, was teaching a class of cate- 
•chumens. He explained to his scholars the work of creation, espe- 
cially the creation of Adam and Eve. A young girl sneeringly re- 
marked: "My papa says we all descend from the monkey." "You 
tell your father we cannot consider family affairs here," That Ger- 
man professors are not to be trifled with is proved by an anecdote of 
a certain professor who, though "odd" in appearance and manner, 
could be even with most people in wit and rei^artee. On one occa- 
sion he went into a railway carriage, of which the only occupants 
were a couple of "giddy girls, " who seemed to find much fun in 
quizzing their queer but learned companion. Determined to punish 
them for their impertinence, the professor waited until the train was 
passing through a long tunnel, when taking advantage of the dark- 
ness, he gave two sounding kisses to the back of his own hand. The 



returning light of the open air revealed the mutual suspicions of the 
two ladies, between whom there was an obvious coolness for the rest 
of the journey. Arrived at his destination, the professor alighted, 
but before doing so he told his companions that he did not know to 
whom of them he was indebted for the kiss in the tunnel, but that he 
could assure them he should always regard it as the one bright inci- 
dent in a long, dull journey. Prince Bismarck was one day enter- 
taining a foreign embassador. Suddenly, in the course of the con- 
versation, the Prince drew his chair close to his guest's and said to 
him: "Can you keep a secret?" The embassador, thinking the 
Prince was about to divulge some important matter of state, answer- 
ed, "Yes, sir, I can." The Prince, with a twinkle in his eye replied: 
"So can I." A certain German, owner of a small house, had effect- 
ed an insurance on it of eight hundred dollars, although it had been 
built for much less. The house burnt down, and the company re- 
fused to pay more than its actual value — about six hundred dollars. 
"If you wish it, " said the cashier of the insurance company, "we 
will build you a house larger and better than the one burnt down, as 
we are positive that it can be done for even less than six hundred 
dollars." To this proposition the German objected, and at last was 
compelled to take the six hundred dollars. Some weeks after he had 
received the money he was called upon by the same agent, who want- 
ed him to take out a policy of life insurance on himself or his wife. 

"Nein, nein, you 'surance fellows be alltiefs! If I insure mein 
vife, and mein vife teis, and I go to de office to get mein two tousant 
thalers, do I get de money. Oh, Nein! You vill say to me, 'Sie vas 
not vorth two tousant talers -,816 vas vort 'bout six hundred. If you don't 
like de six hundred talers ve vill give you a better and a bigger vife. ' " 

In no respect does German heart-life reveal itself so beautifully 
as in religion. The German is by nature deeply religious. Even in the 
days of heathendom the German, like the American Indian, wor- 
shipped uo idols ; and today, in the German literary classes, where 
men have broken away from the positive Christian faith, you will find 
a form of religion, the so-called unconfessional religion, almost every 
man working out views peculiar to himself. The German cannot 
shut God out of his thoughts, however far he may have wandered 
away from the God of the Bible. 

The chief characteristic of German religiousness is piety. The 
German loves to speak of the pious Gemtlt, The first words, one of 
my German professors taught his children to say were: "Abba," 



— 16 — 

""dear Father." In Germany most children are liaptizad on the third 
day after their birth. This is done in the deep consciousness that 
they belong in the kingdom of God. No Christian people is more 
faithful in the religious instruction of their children than are the 
Germans. In early years they are taught the Bible in the form of a 
child's Bilile history, the catechism with about three hundred Bible 
verses, and the choicest hymns. Almost everybody goes to church 
in Germany. German soldiers are even compelled to attend divine 
services. In many localities the churches are not large enough to 
contain all who wish to attend, in which places several services are 
held on the Lord's day, to give all an opportunity. No matter how 
long the distance or how inclement the weather may be the grown 
members of the family will go to church. If any one is hindered 
from going, the parting word is, "pray for me." This is especially 
true at Christmas time. The German would not think of lighting his 
Christmas tree or distributing his present before going to church, be 
the weather good or bad. And here let me say that the Christmas 
tree is not a survival of the Yulefest. It is a distinct Christian and 
German invention. The Christmas trees were first trimmed in the 
early part of the seventeenth century, in Alsaac, in the neighborhood 
of Strassburg. The candles were added a long time afterward, by the 
Swedes. Assuredly the Christmas tree has heightened the joy of all 
children of Christendom, and by it the German reveals his vivid> 
picturesque conception of the nativity — the night lit up with the 
glory of God. 

The home-life presents various striking traits of piety. In every 
German home you will find a Bible, in most, a prayer-book, a hym- 
nal which is both sung and read, and in very many, books of sermons 
by the most devout preachers. This sacred literature accounts 
largely for German piety. On the exterior of many houses in rural 
districts Biblical verses, or Christian poetical inscriptions, are found ; 
while on the walls of the rooms Christian mottoes are displayed. In 
some farming regions the farmer, while he sows the seed, repeats 
some pious sentence like, "with God," "may He bless it," "in His 
Name. ' ' lu some regions, on the day when the first fruits are reaped, 
the people go to church, to dedicate the harvest to God. In the 
evening, on coming home from the field, the housewife, as she lights 
the candle, aay be heard to say, "Light, dear Lord, after this life, 
the lamp of heavenly light for us." 

All public institutions in Germany are manned, largely, by men 



— 17 — 

and women who have been trained in the Wichern schools, in which 
especially men receive a Christian training for work in public in- 
stitutions ; while the number of deaconesses who nurse the sick, raise 
the fallen, and look up and teach neglected children aggregates above 
twelve thousand. 

But while all this is true, and while much more could be said in 
favor of German religiousness, it is also true that the spiritual con- 
dition of the German Church is in a deplorable state. Ministers in 
Germany have themselves confessed that the larger parishes are spir- 
tual cemeteries. It is a fact of history that Germany has had only 
two national revivals, the first in the days of the Reformation, the 
other, Spener's Pietism. Why should this be so? Not because the 
Protestant Churches of Germany are not true evangelical Churches. 
They certainly are. It simply is so because of the thraldom of the 
State Church. A German minister is a state official and as such 
stands head and shoulders above the people. Not only that, he is 
not directly amenable to the Church, and, consequently, may teach 
unscriptural views. If he be a professor of theology he will find the 
well-beaten paths hard to tread, and to attract students he may be 
tempted to teach sensational views, a scheme not infrequently re- 
sorted to. I believe every one of the higher critics, from Eichorn 
down to Wellhausen, was an infidel, a man who held theological 
office for the name or notoriety it might give him. It should also 
be observed that the State Church has never been favorable to evan- 
gelistic movements, and thus it is that spiritual death reigns at large. 
Thanks be to God for the Constitution of the United States which 
divorces the Church from the State ! Be it bo evermore ! If Germany 
had a free Church, conversion of heart and experimental religion 
would be insisted on as in our country, and the German Church, by 
virtue of the strong soul-life of the German, would rise a power in 
all the earth as she was in the days of Luther. But let it be said 
with emphasis, there are even now many faithful ministers in Ger- 
many and there is much true piety among the people ; and while the 
masses of Germans emigrating to our country remain true to their 
church traditions, after the first generation the trend is toward the 
American Churches. In these they rank with the best of its mem- 
bership. 

May God awaken another Luther to arouse the German Church to 

shake the shackles of the State from off her feet, and make her a 

holy nation, a royal priesthood, a peculiar people, that it may show 



— 18 — 

forth the praises of Him who called it out of darkness into His mar- 
vellous light!" Then, and not till then, will her troubled waters of 
higher criticism and every other form of rationalism come to rest, 
and she will go forth conquering and to conquer. 

Let me call your attention to one more characteristic in the 
German, a strong and leading trait in his character — his indefatigable 
industry. Whether the German be a peasant, or artisan, or scholar 
he is always a busy, hardworking man. "Inactivity", saj's the 
German, "is our greatest enemy". This is necessarily so. In his 
climate no zej^hyr winds fan him to sleep, no luscious fruits grow 
of their own accord, and the land is densely populated. The German 
must either work or die. But he naturally loves to work. How 
strongly this trait is stamped on the German character may be seen 
from the fact that every male member of the royal family must learn 
a trade. The present Kaiser is by trade a glove-maker, his brother, 
Prince Henry, a watch-maker, to say nothing of the severe and la- 
borious discipline under which the sons of the Hohenzollern are 
brought up. 

To German industry the United States owes largely, very largely, 
its development. As tillers of the soil, German farmers rank unex- 
celled in the whole world. With industry they combine simple ha- 
bits of life, and, therefore, thrive. You will find them in large 
numbers in every state of the Union, in Wisconsin there are counties 
in which comparatively little English is spoken. Nor is there a 
state in which they have not numbered strong as x^ioneers. From 
their sons and daughters, who have grown up under American in- 
fluences, all our large cities are drawing a heavy quota of staunch 
citizens, men and women who count for physical strength and firm 
character. 

In a like proportion the Germans have contributed to the manu- 
facturing and commercial interests of the land. The first glass and 
iron foundries were erected by Baron von Stiegel. The water works 
along the Manockisy, built by German Moravians, served as models 
for New York and Philadelphia. The bridge spanning the East river 
in New York was built by a German. The first flat boat on the 
Ohio was steered by a German. The first voyage down the Ohio and 
Mississippi rivers to New Orleans was made by a German. It was 
a German who invented the machine to raise the snags in the Missis- 
sippi. Two Germans were the first white men to cross the Alleghe- 
nies. On a stately oak on Old Barren can this day be seen the 



— 19 — 

names of five Germans who were associates of Boone. The Germans 
were the first white men who planted jjotatoes in Pennsylvania and 
Kentucky, and they built the first brewery in the United States. 

In colonial days the greatest and richest merchant was John 
Astor, the father of "O. K.", meaning all good, which he i^ro- 
nounced "oil kut". 

It is also a fact of history that theGerman schools of the colonies 
were recognized to be the best, and were looked upon as models. Re- 
presentative Prosser says, "The only four regiments in the last war 
(civil) in which every man could write his name, were German reg- 
iments." As has already been said, American institutions, not on- 
ly colleges and universities, but also public schools ov,e a debt to 
German methods of thoroughness and exactness. 

Nor should it be forgotten that some of our foremost abolitic.iiists 
were Germans. Pastorius, that man of universal knov^dedge, the 
leader of German mass-immigration, moved the citizens of Pennsyl- 
vania to present the question of negro emancipation to the State 
Legislature. The German Moravians joined in the fight. Where- 
ever the Germans set their foot on southern soil the first thing they 
did was to liberate their slaves. They were also the first to erect 
schools for the negros. Never, in the history of the German people, 
was such a thing as keeping slaves known. In this respect the 
Germans helped immensely in the forming of the national character 
of the United States. 

If, on account of these and other virtues, we have learned to re- 
spect and love the German, our love and respect become pathetic 
when we consider his loyalty to the Stars and Stripes. Never was 
there a battle fought in behalf of American liberty but that, when 
the roll was afterward called, there were German names, often many, 
to which no response came. In the French-English war the German 
settlements formed the outposts against the enemy. German regi- 
ments repelled the first assaults of the English Tories and Red-skins^ 
Under the leadership of the German General Herkimer, peace was- 
purchased in the Battle of Oriskany. This man was also the first 
patriot to unfold the Stars and Stripes on an American battlefield. 
The order had come from Washington that the Stars and Stripes 
should form the American flag. But the battle was on, and in all 
haste General Herkimer improvised a flag, by using the red shirt of; 
one soldier, the blue blouse of another, and the white petticoat of fk 
woman. 



MAR IS 19C5i 



20 



This tale of German loyalty and bravery was told over in the 
Wyoming Valley, along the Savannah and Congerre, in Pennsylva- 
nia, the Virginias and the Carolinas. The name of Heister, Mtiller, 
Schmeisser, Dritt, Fabiger, Kalteisen, Htiger and the excellent Muh- 
lenberg have gone into colonial history, while the names of DeKalb 
and von Stetiben have been immortalized by the counties and towns 
named after them. 

In the war of the rebellion the names of so many German gen- 
erals as Sigel, Kiefer, Steinwehr, Kautz, Osterhaus, Vv^'illig, Schim- 
melpfenning, Weitzel, Salmon, give us an idea of how large a per- 
centage the German jDrivates must have been, and the fact that of 
one regiment of three hundred and fifty men only fifty survived death 
on the battlefield proves the valor with which these men fought. Of 
a German Presbyterian minister it is said that when his whole com- 
pany fled before the enemy, he, in the face of the hail of lead, rallied 
the men to renewed action, and won the day. Our brother has an- 
swered the last roll-call, but the memory of John Berk abides. 

When, eleven years ago, I first set my foot on German soil, I 
was proud that the cradle of my mother had stood on the banks of 
the Rhine. I then wished that every American might be able to see 
Germany, for the very face of the country would be an object lesson 
worthy to bs seen and learned. But when my steamer bumped 
against the pier of Hoboken, and I saw Old Glory waving before the 
breeze she had a meaning for me as never before and my heart swel- 
led with the thought that my German father had fought four full 
years under her. God Bless Both Flags ' 
































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